


Bad Smell

by emetoandotherthings



Category: Original Work
Genre: Graphic Depictions of Illness, Illnesses, M/M, Sick Character, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emetoandotherthings/pseuds/emetoandotherthings
Summary: The Prompt that I received for this fic was "bad smell"WARNING: Includes vomiting.





	Bad Smell

            “Where are we going?” This was the fifth time that Mattie had asked this in the past ten minutes; Jude rolled his eyes.

            “To do some shopping,” Jude replied exasperated. Mattie and some of his course mates had been taking it in turns to host dinner parties – not student gatherings like he and Eden did – proper sit down three course meals with wine and cutlery. It was Mattie’s turn to host – and Mattie being Mattie wanted to blow them all out of the water with the fantastic spread he could produce. So he’d enlisted Jude to help make it extra classy, mainly because Jude could cook, and Mattie couldn’t. Mattie had set out some of his ideas for what he wanted and Jude had drawn up a menu.

            “I thought you were going to do the shopping for me?” Mattie protested.

            “That wasn’t the deal – anyway, I’m not paying for it for you!” Jude explained and Mattie shrugged his shoulders.

            “Oh yeah…” He glanced out of the window. “Are we nearly there?” It had been a big enough task to convince Mattie onto the bus in the first place. He kept repeating that he normally got a taxi and he wasn’t being particularly gracious at Jude’s refusal to follow suit.

            “We are,” he said, “did you even look at the menu I’ve made up?”

            “I glanced over it.” Mattie was brushing a white mark off his jeans. “I thought I’d leave it up to you as you’re the expert – I’ll stick to the wine.” He’d moved his hand across to Jude’s thigh, and Jude felt a thrill chase through him at the touch, he knew Mattie was buttering him up.

            “Oh alright then,” Jude couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face, “but I need your muscles to help carry stuff.”

            “That I can do.” Mattie grinned, flexing his biceps and Jude’s heard did a flip over inside him.

            “This is us, come on.” Jude slipped his hand into Mattie’s and pulled him towards the front of the bus. “It’s just along here.” He explained as they stepped down off the bus.

            “Where even are we?” Mattie glanced around, “I don’t think I’ve ever been at this part of town before.”

            “That’s a shame for you. There’s some really great coffee shops!” Jude was leading him along the road.

            “Hipster central more like,” Mattie squeezed Jude’s hand, “Very _you._ ”

            “Yeah, well there’s a great organic market along here and we’ll get all the ingredients you need.” They stopped outside a grand Victorian building; the doorway had been replaced by an arched walkway leading inside. “It used to be a tea merchant’s house but it’s bee split into different sections for the market.” Jude pulled out his phone, opening the list of ingredients he needed to buy. “Let’s get fruit and veg first, can you grab a basket?”

            Mattie picked up the cloth and wicker basket that Jude indicated and followed as Jude wandered off to the left, to an area where there was numerous baskets of bright, fresh fruit.

            “How do you even find places like this?” Mattie asked as Jude began to place several sweet potatoes into the basket.

            “I pay attention,” Jude said, only half joking. “and I like cooking.” Mattie’s eyes were wide as Jude loaded more into the basket.

            “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dragon fruit before…” Mattie murmured, picking up the purple and red fruit and turning it over in his hand.

            “You can get it if you want,” Jude offered, almost bemused by Jude’s look of fascination.

            “No thanks,” he shook his head and replaced it into its basket.

            “Right, well I think that’s all we need here, let’s pay for it then keep gong,” Jude let Mattie up to the counter and packed everything into a canvas tote as Mattie handed across his credit card. “And you can carry that.” Jude pointed to the bag, then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

            “Of course, I’m the donkey.” Mattie swung the bag over his shoulder, but he was grinning. “Where next?” Jude had come to a stop in the hallway; the echo from all the different shops and stalls seemed to bounce around the walls. Jude was ticking off the items they’d just bought from his list.

            “Well the meat will probably be the heaviest, so we should go there last,” Jude mumbled still looking at his phone.

            “I don’t mind carrying heavy stuff,” Mattie said, “It’ll give me a pre-gym workout!”

            “I know you don’t mind it,” Jude laughed, nudging him gently, “Oh – there’s bread too, we should get _that_ last so it doesn’t get crushed.”

            “So are we just going to stand here?” Mattie jibed, feeling slightly out of place.

            “Right, come on,’ Jude said finally, pointing diagonally across the hallway to a shop front that was light against the dark stone.

            The smell hit Mattie before anything else – the saltwater sharpness that caught his nostrils and made him halt abruptly at the doorway. It was a fish market.

            Mattie’s chest suddenly felt tight as he looked around the rows and rows of fish. Fish had always creeped him out. Not when it was cooked and ready to eat, that was fine, but when it still had it’s skin, head and eyes on – that freaked him out. Jude hadn’t even noticed Mattie stopping, but had wandered on, still consulting the screen of his phone.

            “Come on Mattie,” Jude called; Mattie swallowed, trying to force down the discomfort he felt. He focussed his eyes on Jude’s back; if he just didn’t deviate his gaze from Jude then he’d be fine. He started walking, breathing in and out through his mouth to avoid the smell. He made it to just behind Jude, the cold sensation rising up his neck. “You wanted something classy so I was thinking lobster or oysters for your fish course.”

            Mattie couldn’t help but look around now. The rows of fish had water from their icy beds dripping down, keeping their scaley flesh moist and glistening. Their blank open eyes staring out, like every single one was looking at him.

            “Jude…” Mattie started, his stomach turning over inside him, and he realised just how close he was to retching.

            “I’ll just check how much the lobster is, but those oysters are a good deal.” Jude said; Mattie wished Jude would look up at him, but instead he began to move away.

            “No-” Mattie reached out and grabbed Jude’s upper arm, but opening his mouth had done it. He felt his stomach lurch and clamped his free hand over his mouth, feeling the back of his throat widen and a hot splash of liquid in his mouth. Jude’s eyes widened as he looked at Mattie, cottoning on to what was happening.

            “Can we get outside?” Jude said quickly; Mattie shook his head, closing his eyes as another heave caught him. He felt Jude’s hands grabbing him, steering him quickly; but even with his eyes closed he still felt the ominous presence of the rows of dead fish, and the third heave had his mouth filled with vile tasting liquid. He tried to swallow it back down, but his stomach only rejected more.

            It was too late, he couldn’t take even one more step – he pitched forward as the force of a retch caused the tide he’d been holding back to flow out through his fingers. He heard it hitting the floor with a splat, and then Jude was rubbing his back.

            “It’s okay Mattie.” He opened his eyes, Jude had led him over to a corner just outside the fish market. He’d mostly managed to avoid himself, except for his hand and the tips of his shoes. He opened his mouth to apologise, but a heave cut him off and a bubbling spurt of puke fountained out of his mouth, joining the present puddle on the ground. “Okay, you’re alright.”

            “Oh god sorry,” he gasped when he had finished.

            “Don’t worry,” Jude said, “come on, let’s go outside.” Jude grabbed Mattie’s clean hand and pulled him along until they were outside the building.

            The fresh air was cool on Mattie’s face, and the lurching of his stomach seemed to calm down almost instantly, as Jude led him along to a bench and made him sit down.

            “That was embarrassing.” Mattie admitted eventually, looking down at the coating of sick on his shoes.

            “Are you not feeling well?” Jude asked, concerned, sitting down next to him.

            “I’m fine now,” Mattie replied, the queasy feeling had lifted entirely now, but he noticed his hand was sticky from the puke that he’d tried to hold in. “I’m just – I’m really not good with seeing fish.”

            “What?” Jude looked confused, “But we’ve had fish before?”

            “Yeah, when it’s cooked and ready to eat I’m fine!” Mattie explained, “Not when it’s raw and still with its head and – urgh…” A shiver ran through Mattie and he shook his head.

            “Oh I’m sorry,” Jude said, “If I’d known I wouldn’t have taken you in there.”

            “You didn’t know.” Mattie shrugged, then looked down at his dirty hand. “Do you have anything I can clean my hand with?”


End file.
